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Lot 298Y

Pink Non-nacreous Pearl--"Queen Conch"

7 December 2016, 10:00 PST
Los Angeles

US$25,000 - US$35,000

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Pink Non-nacreous Pearl--"Queen Conch"

Strombus gigas
Caribbean Sea

A conch is one of a number of different species of medium-sized to large saltwater snails and their shells. True conchs are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, and the most well known species is the Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch". The pearls they produce are calcareous concretions—that is they are non-nacreous and are made up of calcium carbonate (rather than aragonite which is the composition of nacreous pearls).

Several thousand snails would have to be found in order to recover a pearl as fine as this one. The present pearl is a very large example of a conch pearl, having a sought-after pink hue. The shape is slightly baroque, but its most notable feature is the distinct flame pattern iridescence which covers the surface. Such large conch pearls are now becoming increasingly rare offerings in the marketplace. Weighing approximately 20.78 carats and measuring 17.0 x 13.7 x 11.5mm

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